Process of producing steel.



No. 654,984. Patented July 3|, I900.

E. M. JOHNSON.

. PROCESS OF PRODUCING STEEL.

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1900.)

(No Model.)

at the bottom than at the sides and top. I

ATENT Fries.

ELIAS M. JOHNON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING STEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,984, dated July 31,1900.

Application filed April 17, 1900. Serial No. 131215. (No specimens.)

To aZl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIAS M. J ortNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,having invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of ProducingSteel, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the production of steel, and moreparticularly to a crucible process of incorporating and absorbing .suchmetals as chromium, tungsten, or titanium with the other materials inthe making of the higher grades of steel. In the methods heretoforeemployed in the manufacture of steel of the grade referred to it hasbeen difficult to obtain uniform results in different Ineltings, owingto the fact that if the mate-- rials to be incorporated are heavier thanthe steel they will remain at the bottom of the crucible and becomecoated with a thin covering of slag when the steel first begins to melt,thus interfering with the complete and uniform absorption of theseheavier metals, even by long heating. incorporated are lighter thansteel, theyrise to the top of the molten mass and become come pliant byheat they will readily liquefy and coalesce.

In my process I make use of a steel cup for containing the chromium,tungsten, or tita nium. These cups may be of different sizes,

depending upon the amount of material to be;

incorporated with the molten mass, and I preferably make the cup ofgreater thickness also use a cover for the steel cupin order that thematerials inside-may not comein contact with the mass. When thecupbecomes thoroughly heated and softened,it absorbs the metalscontained therein and forms cup which I use.

If the metals sought to be an alloy, which is then readily taken up andabsorbed by the mass of molten steel. The advantages of such a procedureare that just the required amount of the metals to be incorporated maybe used and a uniform result obtained.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Ihave illustrated the auxiliary means which I employ in carrying out myimproved process.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the steel Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection thereof. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of acrucible containing the cup in an inverted position.

Like numerals designate like parts wher ever they occur in the diiferentviews.

The numeral 1 designates a steel cup. 2 is the bottom thereof, and 3indicates the side walls. It will be noticed that the bottom of the cupis much thicker than the side walls at the top. A plate or cover 4 isdesigned to be placed on top of the cup when used.

In carrying out my process I place in a cup similar to the oneillustrated a quantity of either chromium, tungsten, or titanium andplace the cover or plate 4 on the mouth of said cup. It willbe'understood, of course, that I may use one of said metals, or I mayplace a quantily of two or all of the metals in the cup together,depending upon the character of the result which I desire to obtain.Ifthe percentage of the metals to be used should. be heavier than steel,I place the cup containing said metals in the crucible with its mouth oropening upward and covered by the plate 4. If the percentage should besuch as to make it lighter than the steel, I invert the cup upon thecover after the metals have been placed therein and then place it in thecrucible.

The specific gravity of each of the metals used is given below:chromium, 7.01; tungsten, 18.30; titanium, 3.9 to 4.25; steel, 7.75 to7.55. Hence if the percentage should contain a quantity of chromium andtitanium the steel.

The object of inverting the cup is that a greater resistance isoffered'to the rise of the materials in the cup; and because thiscondition retards the mixture of the cup and its.

contents with the molten mass until the cup has thoroughly absorbed itscontents and formed an alloy therewith which will readily coalesce.

Having thus fullyide'scribed my invention,

What I claim is 1. The process of incorporating metals with steel duringits conversion which consists in placing in a closed metal receptaclemetals which Willform an alloywithsaid receptacle, v placing thereceptacle in acrucible and piling the charge of steel around it,heating the charge until the contents of the receptacle-- form an alloywith said receptacle, and con-.-

tinuingthe application-of heat until the alloy thus formedis-taken upand mixed WlththG entire charge;

2. "The process of incorporatingsuch metals withsteel during itsconversion as will form an alloy therewith, whic'hconsists in placingsuch metals in a closed steel receptacle or cup, inserting said cup in acrucible, placing iron or steel scrap around the cup, and heating thewhole mass until. theicup absorbs its contents and alloys therewith, andcontinuingthe applicationof heat until the alloy thus formed isabsorbedby the mass, substan-

